Types of Distance Learning

One of the benefits of distance learning is the fact that learning, and facilitation, can take place any day and any time. But this also presents a challenge to educators that are used to having a classroom in front of them. Your distance education class will not have that same connect with your students. We offer two ways of connecting with your students.

• synchronous
  • In this environment, students and teachers are working together at the same time. An example of this is presenting a lecture at a given time on a given day. This model would be good to use when you need to present content to the group and a video or text of the content will not work.
• asynchronous
  • This is what most of your classroom connections will be. In this model you are working at your own pace and the students are doing the same. You might be a morning person, but your students prefer to work after their kids go to bed. In this environment it is critical to create a connection with students early and maintain that connection. Here are some helpful tips to help maintain that connection for both you and your students.
    • Some of the techniques for helping students become actively involved include (adapted from Finley, 2000)
      1. requiring regular participation and giving credit or a grade for it,
      2. making materials relevant by connecting new learning and course materials to current events or student experiences,
      3. use response activities where students must respond to one another
      4. provide conflicting points of views to stimulate discussion and analytical thinking
      5. have a guest lecturer or expert present materials for discussion
      6. assign roles to students for discussions

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Technology Management

Technology issues are bound to happen. Here are three of the most common technology issues that you and your students will face.

1. The online classroom isn't available
   • First, reach out to the technology help desk. This is especially important for students in case assignments are due. Without the help desk ticket number the assignments will be marked as late.
   • If everything is down, email the students as soon as you can to let them know that you are aware of the situation and any changes that might happen to due dates due to an extended outage.
2. You can't post files to the class page (Teacher or Student)
   • First, check to see if your file meeting the requirements for the system.
   • Second, check the system status page to check for outages
   • Third, call tech support.
   • Fourth, try again in 30-60 minutes.
   • If everything is down, email the students as soon as you can to let them know that you are aware of the situation and any changes that might happen to due dates due to an extended outage.
3. You can't log into the system
   1. Check to ensure you caps lock key is not pressed.
   2. Check to see if you are typing in the correct username and/or password.
   3. Check the system status page to check for outages.
   4. Call technical support.